[Closed] Do you like where you live?

As far as cities go, where I live is good (Bristol). Problem is I don't want to live in a city, I want to be somewhere like the Lakes or the Highlands, or North Wales. Somewhere nice and open, quiet, mountains and all those things. It's just very hard to move somewhere like that and find an appropriate job.

My dream would be to move somewhere like that and be able to work from home, but as a software tester it's not that feasible, and most jobs which I could go for would be in big cities. Someday I'll find out how to do it!

Living in South Croydon and deeply ambivalent about it.  I realise that for as close to London as it it, it has loads of advantages.  The riding nearby is actually pretty ok especially on the road bike. Some great places to eat and drink, top board game cafe and some good green spaces.  But as far as I can see that's all damage limitation 🙁

I'm from a small village in the Chilterns which is a paradise but we couldn't afford even a shed there.  I reckon a move west towards Bristol would be ideal.  Otherwise it might be back to sunny western australia and Fremantle.

Hello perchy.

North Manchester, I'm really lucky that we landed on a house just at the right time that has nice neighbours and is walkable to a good school and I can ride my bike in and out of work.

there is good mtb and road riding achievable from the door

there is a pub within 200m but it's a flat roof full of lager drinkers so the bitter is invariably poor because not enough people drink it. there are other pubs. A really nice pizzeria run by an Italian family.

We are choosing to stick rather than twist

Hello Woppit.

Holy shit, my first thought when I saw that was this.....

😀

Skipton, for all the reasons given above.  There's a wealth of places to ride within a 1h drive, it's a lovely little town with everything I need on my doorstep.  I work from home at the moment, but it's an easy to commute to Leeds etc.

yup. west devon.

dartmoor rideable from the door, surfing 30-40mins drive.

if I moved now it would only to be closer to the coast.

Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire

I grew up in Chalfont St Peter and my parents live in St Giles now. We were back last weekend visiting. How anyone can afford to live there is beyond me. I don't like it but I see the appeal if you want or need to be in the SE or commuting to Laarndon.

We now live in the Tweed Valley. Its right nice. I love the countryside, the outsdoorsy ethos, the quality of sports and activities for kids, excellent High School, the connections to Edinburgh and, of course, the riding. Where I live was recently listed by The Times as the best place to live in Scotland.I do hate how miserable a lot of the true locals are though.  They whinge constantly about how rubbish it is and how hard done by they are, but they refuse to leave (ever).

Not an easy question.

I've been so spoilt that I've never lived anywhere bad. I like where I live now, it's leafy commuter ville and we have lots of green space, Windsor Great Park a walk away which is loverly for both cycling / walking.  40mins into London, good jobs etc.

Taken yesterday while walking the dogs across the Polo fields.

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But I grew up in Wharfedale and it's a tough act to follow and I always hanker to go back.

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Yep.

National Park, AONB, >300m altitude, off-road from my doorstep, 5 miles to the nearest traffic light, <£3/pint - for all I know I might have actually died...

I’m currently tempted to move into one of surrounding villages though.

family live in scotton, just outside knaresborough if you know it.  lovely little village with a cracking pub (guy fawkes).

Huddersfield,

I live next to a dual carriageway. thats the only thing id change. Can walk 30 seconds to a wood, 10 mins to a shop and an hour to work (although i drive).

Im just out of the shitty area of hudds so its ok but everytime i visit friends (ely, bristol, london, sheffield, redcar) im more grateful of where we live.

Yeah its alright. I live just outside Leeds and can be on the M62, M1 or A1 in minutes so can go any direction I like easily. Train station a few minutes walk from my house gets me into Leeds in 10 minutes.

Leeds is a great city with loads going for it, people slag it off but usually for the same reason you can slag any city in the world off. Im not from Leeds or Yorkshire but have lived in Yorkshire for most of my life now and its great.

I do wish I was closer to hills and decent trails, but you can't have everything can you....

Yes, I love where I live, even though it is universally acknowledged as a post apocalyptic shithole.

Sounds charming.  Would you still live there if you had more money?

Sounds charming.  Would you still live there if you had more money?

Absolutely*,  It’s my home.

*If I had enough money, I’d ALSO live here.

What a jolly happy bunch of bastards you lot are.

No, it's pretty shit here actually. Mainly because it's bloody over-populated and more and more houses are being built to over-over-populate it. Roads are so busy, I can't actually drive anywhere without losing my rag. (Luckily I can ride to work (when I'm not collapsing in a heap, of course)). Family is here, so can't move, job is here, not very employable, so reckon I'm stuck for a good few more years.

Oh, and the nearest city is Portsmouth, which aside from being impossible to drive into, is a chav-central, scummy, mess of a dump.

Oh, the sea. That's near. And I like the sea.

family live in scotton, just outside knaresborough if you know it.  lovely little village with a cracking pub (guy fawkes).

Scotton is nice but the road through it is a nightmare. It was great to see the pub saved and see it doing so well though. I also like the Arkendale, Ferrensby, Coneythorpe cluster. And very nearly bought a dilapidated ex butcher's shop in Burton Leonard which we decided not to go through with, but is now this 

Skipton, North Yorks. easy to get to Manchester or Leeds should I need to.

Also a direct train to Kings Cross early am every day and return 6.03pm from Kings Cross, pretty good for a Dales market town.

Scotton is nice but the road through it is a nightmare. It was great to see the pub saved and see it doing so well though.

nightmare as in tight with parked cars rather than busy i assume you mean?

the nearest city is Portsmouth, which aside from being impossible to drive into

It does have the distinction of possessing the largest council estate ever, just to the north, are you sure added extra doesn't that sell it too you?

nightmare as in tight with parked cars rather than busy i assume you mean?

Yeah - it isn't 'busy' as such but just too narrow especially with cars getting bigger and bigger all the time and the corner the pub sits on is a nightmare. Not fun in a car, even less so on my bike.

As for OP thing, yes, it's quite nice here.

Our little enclave has a farm out back, a golf course the other side, common land over the road and a nice village with a good school not so very far away. The house itself is ancient, has a mind of its own and all the doorways are brain injury height, apart from that, and the fact it could use the shed being replaced with a more modern (i.e. waterproof, not made from asbestos, more aesthetically pleasing frontage, but that's what you get for having a converted pigsty) model, its all good.

No plan to move any time soon.

Live in Hexham, Northumberland.  Love my house, reasonable school for the kids, decent rail link to Newcastle( other than constant strike!).  Can get to the lakes in an hour and a half, across the lovely road to Penrith.  Up the A68 for Edinburgh again in couple of hours.  Empty roads for the road bike, motorbike, and decent offroad as well.  Not much in the way of pubs/eating out is the only downside.

Between Malvern and Ledbury for the last 16yrs - love it. Riding from door, walking, pubs, great local sports clubs for kids, nice local towns with good schools for kids. Bit of a trek for decent shopping (we tend to infrequently do Cheltenham or Cardiff) but that suits me fine ;->

It does have the distinction of possessing the largest council estate ever, just to the north, are you sure added extra doesn’t that sell it too you?

Where I lived as a child, you mean? Yeah, although, in comparison to all the green land being swallowed up and hideous houses built on in Waterlooville, Leigh Park is an oasis of architecture, grass and parkland.

Grew up in Aldershot and spent 10 years in Newbury before moving to Hong Kong so yes, its not too bad.

I dont live on the island but out on Lantau so Im a short walk or ride to the mountains but a 30 minute ride into town if I want. The ridings not too bad and you are a short flight to even better places. Cant afford to buy here (but have a UK place) and the pollution could possibly be the death of me in the future but its fascinating, international, cosmopolitan and always full of surprises.

When it comes to Cardiff, I want to add that in spite of the reputation the Valleys have for socio-economic deprivation, they - and many of the towns and villages dotted around them - are extremely beautiful.

Whether on a road bike or a mountain bike, it is so easy to leave Cardiff and get out into some of the most beautiful riding the UK has to offer. Indeed, it used to amaze me that - being from Canada originally - I had such incredible access to real, natural, and very beautiful, forest trails just a few minutes’ ride from my door.

So, thumbs up to Cardiff, but a big thumbs up to the whole of South Wales as well.

Yep, N.Wales. It's a when a potential move comes up that I realise how much I like it here. Pretty sure that I'd only move for an international job (more blue skies would be nice).

Live in Galapagar, a small town to the north west of Madrid - trails start <5 min from my front door, proper mountains a short ride away, freezing in winter and boiling in summer... and I'm very happy here. Downsides are that we need a car for pretty much anything, and there's not much in the way of nightlife where we live. I'm also about 35-40min by car from work, and if I ever have to work again in the centre of Madrid that'd go up to over an hour... 10 year plan when we get rid of the kids is to by a flat up the road in El Escorial, it's a bit more lively but even better situated for riding and running 🙂

Where I lived as a child, you mean? Yeah, although, in comparison to all the green land being swallowed up and hideous houses built on in Waterlooville, Leigh Park is an oasis of architecture, grass and parkland.

Nope, Paulsgrove, last place you'd want to live if you are a paediatrician.

Kerley said:

I absolutely love where I live.  Right in the middle of New Forest in a small village where I can walk 50 metres up the road and be in the trees or ride onto some singletrack and fire roads.  Very quiet, very clean air, nice neighbours.

It wasn’t cheap though…

Which is me too (Don't think we've met though).

I'm riding across the forest and down the beach tomorrow.its ace!

Only trouble is my wife wants to move away. And only because she's always lived there! It's becoming a bone of contention...

I live in Wymondham, just outside Norwich. Nice town, great schools, decent people. However, the riding is a bit flat and boaring.

Farnborough Village (between Bromley and Orpington) here -

I'm 45 with kids aged 8+11.

I like it a lot, but probably don't love it.

Great location for airports/travel/etc - fast train to Charrig X takes 20 mins, good schools for our kids, good road riding (10 mins and you're on little lanes around Downe/Cudham/Biggin Hill) we live in a quiet road with mostly nice neighbours (pretty much everyone is retired) so feels safe as everyone is a curtain twitcher.

However, it is expensive (our extended, semi-detached Dorma-loft converted bungalow is probably worth £550k at the moment) so once the kids have grown up a bit we'll probably look at downsizing & moving out a bit.

Hebden Bridge and mostly it's great, and certainly it is from a riding point of view. Only place I'd possibly rather be in the UK is the Lake District, but it's more cut off than here and has less going on.  I don't really fancy being surrounded by Tory baby boomers, either.

I live on the coast in North Northumberland

Shout to the Northumberland massiv or is there Northumberland Yarking.

ish,

I live in Horwich, and i like the access to the moors, lakes etc.

its getting busier and getting swallowed into Bolton and has a horrific rate of house building. i dream of moving to the highlands, I have looked at property in dumfries and galoway and slowly I am getting the OH to agree its time to move.

I need to work though and thats the issue!

Yep, definitely.

Moved to Cheshire about 20 years ago from Brum. Wild horses wouldn't get me back.
Now living in a small village in South Cheshire, not much great riding on the doorstep but most places of the UK are so easily accessible. Got a choice of Cannock, Llandegla or Delamere as 'local' rides, and if I want to go further I can do a day out in the Lakes, Peaks, Snowdonia, FoD, etc very easily, even venturing over to Mabie on occasion.

Plenty of decent footpaths, fields & farm tracks for running with the dogs from the doorstep too, and work is only 3 miles down the road.

If I want some big city life Liverpool & Manchester are a train ride away, and family aren't too far away (but far enough 😉 ) in sunny ol' Birmingham.

Yep, I love it here 🙂

Nope.

Northwich itself is a shithole.

However, 40 mins and your in North Wales, 40 mins and you are in The Peak, 90 mins you are in The Lakes,10 mins to the M6, and 10 mins to the M56,so geographically its pretty much spot on.

Looking to move as I type.

Looking to move as I type.

Still thinking up North?

Still thinking up North?

All depends on the work situation- Its ok for me pretty much anywhere no I'm working for myself, just the better half to think of Lee.

Would love to tho, Rothbury would be ideal..

Hopefully that works out for as I know how it keen you've been.

Richmond area North Yorkshire, its nice good road rail and airport access. Dales and Moors close, lakes an hour ish. Coast at Saltburn is ok.

If i moved i would go back to Northumberland either Tyne Valley or Alnmouth/Alnwick.

I work all over the UK and tgere are loads of shit and nice places.

I love where I live, Aberlour, Speyside. If folks travel all over the work to holiday here and sample the local produce I don't think it can be that bad 🙂

I spent 16 years in various parts of Kent and hate everything about the place.  Too busy, traffic is horrendous, the majority of people seem to fall into 2 categories; chavs or self entitled snobs, expensive, barely any bridleways to ride and not really much to do with the kids unless you what to drive an hour to get anywhere.

Whereabouts in Kent were you?

I grew up in Ashford, which was still alright up to around the mid 00'S but the sprawl has gotten out of control.

I've lived in Dover for nearly ten years now and although it isn't perfect by a long way, it's actually quite nice. The amount of bridleways, paths and woods that are dictated by the valleys mean it's a good place to ride. Road cycling is pretty good too, as the lanes are quite dense.

On the other hand, I work in manufacturing as a maintenance engineer and Dover is quite a low-wage corner in an already under represented county, in terms of industry. We'll have to see what brexit brings.

Quite like it in Wirral.

We’re in a house with great views over to the Liverpool waterfront. Delamere 30 mins, Degla 40, Revs 80.

Liverpool is 10 mins in the car or train.

It got voted best postcode in one of those Torygraph type polls for value, links, schools etc.

Some riding from the door as the central strip down Wirral is mainly farm land.

Luckily we have a big apartment near Leogang too so I spend 3 months a year there, and we’ll retire there when our lad go to Uni.

Happy where I am. Small cul-de-sac on the edge of a small town. In the summer we can sit out our garden and hear the cows in the field about 500yds away; Its 10 minute walk to the nearest mountain/forestry; 10 minute walk to bus/train stations and local shops .... 15-20 drive to Cardiff and Newport.

Its the perfect balance of not being in a built up area where cars outnumber trees, and yet close enough to civilisation and all necessary amenities.

Northampton for me.  Love the house we have,  the quiet road rides and a 10 min walk to a village pub.  Peak District not too far for riding and camping.  Town centre though is awful.  A few nice independent coffee shops and bars make it bearable.

Recently moved from a posh part of Surrey to Plymouth and absolutely love it. A different world, when our neighbour  on the other side of the road  used  the UK residence of the PM of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed.  Now its Pete.  Right on the edge of town, can be on coastal footpath, I mean singletrack in 10 minutes ride, Dartmoor, beaches, nice villages, a lot,lot cheaper. so we might actually be able to afford to buy a house.  Although I'm unlikely to be out on Union Street at closing time what I have noticed is how friendly people are.  No range rover driving, moody looking, fake tanned, 20 something women around here.

I love where I live, Aberlour, Speyside. If folks travel all over the work to holiday here and sample the local produce I don’t think it can be that bad 🙂

I fart in your general direction (and given the prevailing wind, I probably do!)

Yes, I like where I live.

family live in scotton, just outside knaresborough if you know it.  lovely little village with a cracking pub (guy fawkes).

Yeah, I like Scotton, that's on my radar.  Agree about the pub, it's fantastic now (after the brewery buyout).

Millau  South of massif central in France

Riding is brilliant, sea is not too far. Same distance as skiing in winter

No traffic!

Spent 20 years in Kent and would struggle with traffic and speed of life.

Southern edge of the lakes, riding from the door, sunsets over corney fell, 50 min pedal from work, great school for the reptiles, pub and shop walkable. Could be a lot worse.

Heptonstall, up the hill from that Hebden Bridge. Yes I love where i live (on a bridleway in a wood) roads are a bit messed up at the minute which adds a hour or so to my day, but once here, I don't think I want to be anywhere else.

I fart in your general direction (and given the prevailing wind, I probably do!)

It's probably been blowing up past Nairn more recently 😉

Love where we live in Whitstable, Kent.

10 minutes walk from the beach and 10 minutes ride from the doorstep to a pretty extensive network of trials in the woods between here and canterbury. The town is really nice with a high street full of independent shops, with good pubs and restaurants. Has a really nice buzz in the summer particulally around the oyster festival week. We have two kids and it’s a really family friendly place with good schools. Weather is great. Pretty dry and consistently get actual summers (I grew up in Liverpool and the weather is really noticeable for me). Good access to the continent. Not really bothered about London but it’s close enough if you want it. We don’t live in the centre of town so no traffic issues. Canterbury where we used to live was a bit of nightmare at peak times but it’s generally fine here. There’s really nothing I don’t like and have no desire at all to move.

I grew up in Ashford

Oh you poor thing.

i lived there until I was 12 until thankfully my parents moved to the countryside, I have the misfortune to pass through when visiting (as I did today) i sometimes think this (Ashford) is what the grimmer parts of the north are like but with less tanning salons and curry sauce.

its an artless place with no redeeming features which went rapidly downhill once the railway went and it was earmarked for rapid housing expansion yet no jobs or infrastructure to support it.

Ipswich on the outskirts. It must be ok as we've been here 23 years. The riding is ok and there's some really quiet bits miles from anywhere.

Yes, absolutely love it.

Love the city, Bristol, such a cool place, even the crappy areas aren’t *that* bad compared to some places I’ve been. Only real downside is the appalling traffic, but we walk pretty much everywhere so not too much of an issue.

Love the area, just over a mile from the city centre, so my wife and I walk to work, kids walk(ed) to school. Cars sit on the drive all week.  Plenty of good pubs and places to eat within a 10 minute walk, we rarely bother going into town.  And, possibly best of all, stacks of live music most nights of the week. Little boozer (rammed with 100 people) 10 mins walk away where i’ve seen Glen Tilbrook from Squeeze, Dr Feelgood, The Vibrators, as well as stacks of unheard of bands. Old jail 10 mins walk through the park the other way is much bigger - was there last week watching Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart.

Love our house. Pretty big since we extended it, room for teenagers and partners without actually having to interact unless we want to. Garage for the motorbikes,  cellar for the bicycles, drive for the cars. Garden plus balcony with far reaching views.

Nowhere I’d rather live.  Happy as a pig in the proverbial

Whereabouts in Kent were you?

Started out in Dover (in the same block as Churchills Hotel on the beach) then Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Snodland and finally Walderslade.

To be fair, there was quite a lot of riding around on unofficial trails or cheeky footpaths but a distinct lack of official bridleways you could link up to make a decent ride. Used to be a great group to ride with called SketchyMTB but I don't know if they are still around.

The traffic was mental though.  Often more than an hour to get from Dover to Canterbury. The north was worse though.  I could cycle the 18 miles between Walderslade and Tonbridge faster than I could drive it and it's all NSL roads! And that's before any mention of Operation Stack!!

I found the attitude of people in the north and west of Kent to be proper crap. Around Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Maidstone were the worst.  No one would give you the time of day and there was a distinct impression of being looked down upon.  Pretty much everyone I worked with who moved to Kent felt the same.

To be honest though the closer you got to the south the better it got and I quite enjoyed the multi cultural mix of folks in Dover (although I did get assaulted twice by some BNP supporting ****s for having the temerity to have a conversation with "Slovaks" and "****s" in the Folkestone Road).  In the early 2000's the smugglers having regular shootouts outside NuAge nightclub right opposite my flat was quite exciting too.

Lived in Harrogate all my life and feel very lucky to have lots of friends in the area doubt I’ll ever move.

I’ve seen a lot a change over my 38 years here but it is and always be ‘arrogut.

East Sussex here. Its OK but we moved here when I needed to be within a commute of London and this was a lot better than Surrey where we used to live. If you have to live within an hour or so of London its the best county I reckon - near the sea, not too built up and plenty of character (unlike Surrey). We live in a small market town with good schools etc and a reasonable amount of riding nearby plus sailing and kayak fishing which are my other pastimes.

We have a nice house in a nice area etc etc

However since I stopped working in town and the whole brexit bollocks blew up we have been thinking about moving.

France, Netherlands and Scotland are all possibilities.

OP, what didn’t you like about Sheffield? I’ve lived here most of my life and love it. Granted I am very lucky to live in one of the last houses before you’re in the Peak District but I’d not live anywhere else just now.

OP, what didn’t you like about Sheffield? I’ve lived here most of my life and love it.

It just never felt like home, I ended up there by a series of misfortunate events and despite spending most of my youth partying there I realised it was a place I loved to visit but hated living in.

Don’t get me wrong I will always be thankful of the years I lived there, I found both my wife and who I really am in that city.

Nice honesty Pik n Mix, just goes to show that everyone sees the world through different eyes.

Started out in Dover (in the same block as Churchills Hotel on the beach)

God, takes me back many a grim trip to Churchills

Pretty happy really in Durham: affordable housing, 3 national parks within easy reach, riding from the door, beach 20 min away, international cricket up the road, decent airport not far away, and train to that London < 3 hours.

I’m actually moving house tomorrow. We are moving to an area just outside the city but still with tram access and a three minute walk to the beach of a lake for summer bathing. I’ll let you know if is the right decision next summer!

Kinlochleven. Miles from anywhere nothing rains a lot pubs are expensive. Love it!

Nah - North Devon over looking a beach...it’s horrible. I even have to drive 20/30 minutes to be in the middle of Exmoor, one hour thirty minutes to be in Dartmoor, an hour ish to Quantocks....might be a ferry service from nearby Ilfracombe to South Wales in the future....so could be even closer to Afan, BPW, Brechfa.....terrible!!!!

Lived in Harrogate all my life and feel very lucky to have lots of friends in the area doubt I’ll ever move.

I’ve seen a lot a change over my 38 years here but it is and always be ‘arrogut.

Harrowgate FFS we live in a bubble of poshness.

@johndoe - that's how it's spelt on the old direction stone at Bolton Abbey.

Garnant, Amman Valley, Carmarthenshire. It's pretty good tbh. There is no way on this great green Earth that we live upon that we could ever afford anything similar closer to the home counties where we both sort of come from. Every morning as I leave for work (45ish mins by car, on the coast near Pembrey) I look across the valley to the hills at the western end of the Brecon Beacons. It's good.

The biggy for us is the ability to be with the MiL in central France at the drop of a hat. Cardiff airport is close enough to allow this.

More selfishly we ride road or MTB from the door. National Park is less than a mile away. Loads of local trails to nip out onto, never bored. Less than 45 mins to Afan, Glyncorrwg, Brechfa, Cwmyrhaeadr, Llandovery, Pembrey. Gower is approx 50 mins away.

Can get to the M4 is less than 20 mins. Public transport is OK too, hourly services on weekdays, two hourly on Sundays.

Apart from a year in Coventry (could take it or leave it) and a year in Barnsley (shite and scarily white, but where my love of MTB was first kindled so can't complain too much), I've lived within 15 miles or so of Peterborough my entire life. At first on the edge of the fens, then in the city, and now in East Northants.

Not the greatest off-road riding round here in terms of hills, but I now live less than five minutes ride from Wakerley and Fineshade woods, which are probably the best wooded singletrack riding within an hour and a half's drive so am happy with that. Ten minutes from the A1 and 20 from the A14, so The Peak and Shropshire are a couple of hour's drive away for something more 'proper'.

Away from riding, it's actually a pretty nice area to be. We're in a decent, quiet village, but have reasonable towns/cities less than 30 minutes drive away for shopping, etc. Loads of local village (gastro)pubs within easy reach. Not much over an hour to get to the Norfolk coast and some amazing beaches.

Would love to live in The Peak or the Lakes, but with our jobs that's not likely to happen until we retire.

Moved from Salford (dump) to Rishton in Blackburn. Good transport links to work. Very quiet but with a good selection of shops. Live 50 yards from the canal which is great for a nice evening bike ride. Loads of countryside for bigger rides.

Ten minute walk to golf course and driving range.

Absolute bliss.

Another former Sheffielder here.

From South Yorkshire to South Australia a few years ago now.

Muss the place actually though very much landed on my feet here. Great house with a pool and 10m and a clear line of sight to one of Australia's top 10 beaches. 1000s of km of gravel, beach amd bbq life. Its clean and quiet and idyllic.

Howevwr, i miss the uk still and really miss the ease of access to Europe. if the venture i am perusing comes off in nexr year then i can see us splitting time 50/50 between hsre and Sheffield again, perhaps Hathersage.

I dont know if there is one perfect place but that makes life interesting!

Another one in East Sussex.

We're in a hamlet on the outskirts of a village and love it.  It's a short walk to the station for the commute into London every day (necessary evil unfortunately). The kids go to a decent school down the road, we've proper shops for the necessaries in the village, the coast is a short drive away, countryside on the doorstep for walking the dogs etc. It's quiet but if you want bustle it's not far away.

That said, once the kids are finished with school I think we'll be off - probably head west and find somewhere by the sea - at least that's the plan.

its an artless place with no redeeming features which went rapidly downhill once the railway went and it was earmarked for rapid housing expansion yet no jobs or infrastructure to support it.

I left there around ten years ago, and other than visiting my mum in Kennington, I've never been back into the town. The expansion is absolutely mind-boggling though, one overloaded hospital, no jobs or industry as such and a dead town centre. Despite all that, I still think of it as being "home".

I found the attitude of people in the north and west of Kent to be proper crap. Around Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Maidstone were the worst. No one would give you the time of day and there was a distinct impression of being looked down upon. Pretty much everyone I worked with who moved to Kent felt the same.

I worked around that area for some time and only really came across that in Tunbridge Wells. It's something that annoys me, because I always think that a lot of people, north of Birmingham say, tend to view anywhere south as all being London and snobby, cold southerners. But I do think you're right in saying the further south you get in Kent, the better it gets.

Other than no MTB on my doorstep (only 20 miles North of Keswick though) I really like where I live. I should try a fat bike as the coast is only a few miles away.

Detached house with no neighbours, views over to the Solway/Scotland one direction and the Cumbrian fells the other.

Having grew up on a council estate I thought I'd find it odd having no neighbours but it's brilliant!

Yeah, I like Scotton, that’s on my radar.

The road through it is crap though, (I commute that way from Boroughbridge to yon side of Killinghall)

We mustv'e crossed paths at some point Glenn, I get out & about on the HT between B/bridge & Knaresborough a fair bit.

I love where we live but I'll end up back with Northernsoul in Durham which is still 'home' for me.